Probiotics: a natural alternative as health promoters

Abstract

Probiotics are considered as living or dead microorganisms, as
well as products resulting from microbian fermentation, nucleotides and its
metabolizables products, metabolites, organic acids and enzymes, which act
positively into the host. The aim of this work is to show the main ideas about
probiotics, its importance for health and its medical and veterinarian
applications. The use of probiotic supplements intents to repair the
deficiencies on the organism ecosystem, without adding anything not present
under natural conditions. For that reason, no harmful effects have been
reported because of the application of probiotics either on animals or on
humans. Researches about probiotic microorganisms have been mainly
focused on lactic bacteria, because they are normal inhabitants of
gastrointestinal tract and also they are very rarely associated with diseases.
It has been established that this kind of microorganisms suppresses the action
of pathogen, induces different beneficial metabolic effects in guts, shows
hypocholesterolemic effect, reduces absorption of toxic substances, rises
digestive uptake of food and stimulates immune system. In Cuba, different
workgroups are working on the development of products, which shows
probiotic features, to improve productive and health indicators in animals.
Moreover, they started the first steps to employ Cuban probiotic product in
humans. Probiotics have resulted a viable alternative to keep animal and
human health, thus its application fields are more and more extended.